Pet Foster Carers Are Very Special People

Every domestic pet in care at Oasis Animal Rescue in Durham Region has an unfortunate story. Some have been mis-treated, lost or abandoned and others simply need a new home due to changing circumstances: perhaps the owner has died or the family situation has changed. Through no fault of their own, these loving, domestic pets find themselves in need.

As a “No Cage / No Kill” organization, Oasis is completely foster-care based and relies heavily on pet fostering volunteers.

Living throughout the Durham Region, our pet foster carers are a very special group of volunteers who regularly open their hearts and homes to provide temporary care, safety and comfort to a pet in need while it is on our pet adoption list.

Why Foster Pets In Need?

• Provides individual care for animals when they need it most
• Helps to socialize animals so they are more likely to be adopted
• Spares animals the stress of cage confinement
• We witness the animal’s real personality and can better “match” pets with potential adopters
• Fostering a pet is a wonderful and rewarding experience for all and makes a huge contribution to the pet adoption success rate

Temporary Foster Care Saved Nugget

Nugget, an eight year old golden retriever, was rescued from an abusive situation by a caring man who four months later, unfortunately, died leaving Nugget on his own, and requiring a lot of medical attention. When news of his plight was published on our website, a wonderful foster family stepped up to the plate and nursed him through his ordeal. Thanks to foster care Nugget avoided life in a cage and the possibility of being euthanized. He has now happily transitioned to a permanent home where his new family are showering him with the love he deserves.

Sapphire’s Foster Parents Will Help Care For Her Kittens

Sapphire was malnourished, pregnant and left on our doorstop… her foster carers will be there to help her during the birth of her kittens – a special experience they are thrilled to be part of and that they will likely never forget. Her foster family will also be helping Sapphire feed, nurture and socialize the lively babies until they each go off to caring, forever homes.

Tommy’s Foster Carers Helped Him Become “Adoptable”

Tommy was found emaciated, dirty and obviously homeless. This little chap had clearly had a rough time but his temporary foster family were ready and able to help him get back in shape and he was soon adopted. Without foster care, cat Tommy may not have had survived.

Is Pet Foster Care Easy?

Absolutely not! That’s why Oasis pet foster carers are such special people. It takes time, patience and compassion when you welcome a foster pet into your home and we appreciate the effort involved.

Fortunately a lot of the animals going into temporary foster care are already well-behaved with good house manners. Other animals may need more care, supervision or training because they’ve never been lucky enough to have people in their lives who cared about their well-being.

Foster carers providing temporary care for domestic pets on the adoption list at Oasis Animal Rescue do however make life easy for animals in need during a period when they need the most support.

Offering your time, your experience, your home, your patience, your compassion…. to pet fostering may be a challenge, but you could very well be saving a life. Fostering a pet is a wonderful experience.

Frequent Asked Questions About Pet Fostering

How long would I be expected to foster a pet?

A short term pet fostering period would be two to four weeks. Longer would be just shy of three months. We average about six weeks. The longest we have experienced is 10 months.

Will it cost me to foster a pet?

All medical costs are covered by Oasis for an animal who is being fostered. If the pet foster family needs help with supplies (pet food, kitty litter etc.) it may be able to benefit from public donations received by our pet food bank. Please discuss with one of our staff members during your pet foster application process.

What if I want to adopt the pet?

When a foster parent decides to adopt a pet in their care the procedure is seamless. Our home visit procedure was already completed to qualify them to foster so this is not necessary. A pet foster carer need simply to fill out the adoption application ( 4 pages) for our files and have the animal signed over to them. The cost would be the standard adoption admin fee for whichever type of animal they choose.

Can I re-name my foster pet?

At least 75% of pets come to Oasis already named. If this is not the case Oasis staff name the animal. We prefer that pet names are not changed while in foster care simply because it helps to avoid confusion in veterinarian and administrative records.

What happens if a potential adopter wants to meet the pet I am fostering?

A prospective adoptive parent will be allowed a “meet & greet” if requested but only after they have gone through the approval process. Oasis staff will contact you to make meeting convenient arrangements. With dogs a “meet & greet” is mandatory but not so with cats. In fact, 80% of people adopting pets are comfortable choosing their new pet via the photo that is posted on our website.

My pet and my foster pet aren’t getting along. What should I do?

A reasonable amount of time (several weeks) must be given for an animal to adapt to any foster home and the inhabitants (human or otherwise). Some pets are quicker to relax and enjoy being in a welcoming environment more than others. If, however, there is virtually no way that this seems to be happening we prefer to re-locate the animal in question.

Will Oasis care for my foster pet when I go on vacation?

If you, a foster parent, decide to go on vacation that is perfectly fine. We have a pet sitting service through Beverly C’s Critter Connections that will be happy to care for the foster animal in your home. There is no cost. Alternatively we will re-locate the pet until you return.

How do I apply to foster a pet through Oasis Animal Rescue?

Easy! If you have an interest in becoming a foster parent simply request Foster Application Form by calling us at 289-385-6293, or complete and send the contact form below. We will e-mail the form to you or, alternatively, it can be picked up at the office. Once it is completed and returned, we will schedule a standard home visit at your convenience.